There She Goes
by ArtisteFish
Summary: He could still remember her first day at his school. She'd walked into his homeroom class and sat just a few seats away, a nervous but genuine smile on her lips as she looked about at the people coming in. Inuyasha decided right then and there that he hated her. InuKag, High School au. Now a series of drabbles.
1. There She Goes

"There She Goes", an InuKag High School Oneshot

*set in the 90's - listening to The Goo Goo Dolls or Foo Fighters while reading is highly recommended

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He could still remember her first day at his school.

She'd walked into his homeroom class and sat just a few seats away, a nervous but genuine smile on her lips as she looked about at the people coming in. Inuyasha decided right then and there that he hated her.

Turned out her name was Kagome, and her family had just moved from the city into an old church not far from where he and his foster dad lived. He wondered if she walked to school, since their path home would inevitably be the same route. He made up his mind to go the long way home that day to avoid any questions.

She was smart, he discovered, but not a genius. Although she didn't stand out academically, she shone like a star among the other students, humans and demons alike. It wasn't long before she was flanked by friends every day, always saying hello to teachers, always in a pleasant conversation. She'd even tried talking to him a few times, but he ignored her with determination. It took her a while to get that he wasn't someone she should be talking to. He was the only half-demon in his grade, and the one student that humans and demons alike wanted nothing to do with. Inuyasha kept to himself, ate lunch by himself, studied on his own, and didn't bother with anyone else so that they wouldn't be tempted to bother him. Kagome didn't know the rule at first, didn't know that she shouldn't even look his way, but the other students corrected her soon enough. It was strange to him though… even after their warnings, she still tried talking to him. His own silence kept her from ever succeeding.

Inuyasha firmly told himself that he hated her, every single day, but he couldn't help watching everything she did. After a month he'd memorized her routine, after three months he memorized her likes and dislikes. He memorized her wardrobe, all loose sweaters and short skirts and sneakers. It had only taken a week to memorize her smell, but he wouldn't admit to himself just how nice a smell it was until four months had passed. They really did walk the same route home, and after a week of avoiding it altogether, Inuyasha trailed behind her on the path, far enough away that she would never be tempted to turn back and talk to him. Sometimes he found himself wishing she would.

When a school dance approached, he watched as boy after boy came up to ask to take her, and one by one she'd give them a smile and say "We'll see", but it was never a definite yes. Inuyasha wondered what she was waiting for, secretly hoping she turned them all down. The thought of her hanging off some guy made his gut twist unpleasantly and a growl rise in his throat. The day before the dance she'd tried to talk to him again, going so far as to sit and wait out his silence, but he'd refused to even look at her, and eventually she'd sighed sadly and walked away to talk with her friends. He was so angry and confused by her strange behavior that he ran the whole way home before she even left the school. Totosai's greeting was met with an angry growl as Inuyasha slammed the door to his room and turned his music up as loud as his ears could take, hoping to drown out the strange thoughts running through his head about his black-haired classmate.

The day after the dance, he'd been on pins and needles, expecting to see her walk through the door to the classroom with a new boyfriend. He was sure she hadn't gone alone, and also sure that any guy who managed to get a date out of her wouldn't let her go any time soon. But she walked in with her usual group of friends, talking and laughing about how fun the dance had been, and how tired she'd been afterwards, and how nice it had been to go with just friends. He couldn't believe it. A little voice in the back of his head couldn't stop whispering 'maybe I have a chance'.

He didn't plan on it, but after that day, he started to act differently towards her. When she'd say hello in the morning, he'd respond with a gruff 'hey'. The first time he'd done it she nearly fainted from the shock, and he'd worried she wouldn't try it again. But she continued to do it, and he continued to return the greeting. One day after school, he started for home just as she did, walking only a little ways in front of her. The second day he did this, she caught up with him and said hello. The third day, they walked together in silence until the path forked and she turned for her home on the hill with a friendly 'see you tomorrow!' The next day in class, she casually asked how he'd been, and he'd responded with a somewhat lost sounding 'fine' before his nerves got to him and he shrank back into his corner. For two whole weeks their simple interactions continued, and Inuyasha couldn't recall a happier two weeks in his life. He shouldn't have let his guard down so much.

He could still remember the Friday when it had all gone downhill: the bell had rung for lunch, and Kagome, who hadn't talked to him since that morning, walked up to his desk and asked if he'd like to have lunch with her and her friends. He'd heard the shocked gasps behind her and turned her down with a simple 'no', but the damage had been done. For the rest of the day he was tormented by the whispers of her social group that his dog-ears couldn't help but pick up. "He's a half-demon, he's not worth your time!" "He doesn't have any friends for a reason." "We know you're a nice person Kagome, but you really shouldn't talk to him." "We won't let him eat with us, so don't ask him again!" "You better be careful Kagome, or people might start to think you like that grunge-loser."

The silence between them on the walk home was uncomfortable and tense, and several times Kagome opened her mouth to say something, only to shut it with a snap. Ten minutes of this and Inuyasha had had enough. With determined steps he left her behind, hurrying home and kicking himself for ever thinking he could be friends with such a prep. As soon as he got home, he dropped his things to help Totosai with another fixer-upper, finding the hammering and sawing as good a distraction as any from his crushed hopes. After an hour of work he found himself feeling a little better, the pain starting to dull. It had been a nice little dream, and he'd always treasure the silent walks home and the sound of her voice as she greeted him each day, but he knew there wouldn't be more. Come Monday, she'd be just like the others pretending he didn't exist. Maybe she'd be a little sad, at first, but she wouldn't risk talking to him, for fear of losing all of her friends and admirers. He couldn't really blame her.

It was a shock to his system when she said a cheery hello to him Monday morning. When she sat down in the empty seat next to him, he nearly pinched himself in disbelief. Then she asked if she could eat lunch with _him_ that day, and all he could do was nod like an idiot. Sitting under his favorite tree, away from the cliques and noise, Inuyasha couldn't stop staring at Kagome, perfectly at ease beside him as she munched away at her lunch. She drew him into easy conversation, doing most of the talking and occasionally getting him to give her more than a one word answer. She laughed once at some snarky remark of his, and he couldn't stop the red spreading across his cheeks. No one had ever really given him attention like this. Some people were nice to him in passing, but it had been years since he'd really been able to sit and talk with someone his age over something that wasn't a school project. He couldn't remember the last time someone had laughed at one of his jokes. Once lunch ended, he feared she'd take things back to the status quo, having spent enough time with him. But she kept talking to him, and for the first time, their walk home wasn't in silence.

The next few weeks were unreal for Inuyasha as every day Kagome would single him out, laying her attentions on him and treating him like he was her oldest and dearest friend. She still talked to her other friends, and they still tried to pry her away from him. But she resolutely ignored their heated advice, and each day she drew Inuyasha out a little more, finding out what he liked and taking genuine interest. When she learned what music he liked, she asked to borrow some CDs, wanting to hear them for herself. He was amazed to not only get the disks back in one piece, but to find that she genuinely enjoyed listening to his favorite bands. He let her borrow his jacket one cold afternoon, and couldn't stop from gawking as she gratefully accepted the beat-up old thing, smiling and burrowing into it without any comments on how thrashed it was.

At times he didn't want to believe her; he wanted to go back to feelings he was used to, thinking how this was a cruel trick, or maybe someone had dared her to do all these things. It was stupid to think that, but it was safer than where his feelings were headed. He'd never been so attached to someone before, and he just didn't know what to do next.

He should have expected the next step to come from Kagome, but she always knew just how to surprise him. She invited him over to her house one day, wanting to get some help studying for their math test. He met her mother and her little brother and grandfather, who were all pleasant and accepting and urged him to stay for dinner. Kagome seemed so happy to have him there, at her dinner table, sharing a meal with her family, and Inuyasha couldn't deny that it felt awfully warm and homey. Totosai was a good guardian, but warmth and affection wasn't his thing. Inuyasha couldn't help envying Kagome a little bit. She'd dragged him upstairs afterwards and sat him on her bed with a math book between them. He'd been in the middle of walking through a particularly difficult problem with her, when he felt the mattress dip, and suddenly a warmth on his face as she kissed his cheek.

All equations and numbers fled his brain as he looked at her, eyes wide and mouth gaping, while her head dipped bashfully and she looked away. "Sorry" she said softly, not sounding at all like she meant it, "I uh… wanted to thank you for all your help." Inuyasha didn't know how to respond – could hardly remember how to talk – and turned away to stare at her carpet while his face bloomed in heat. "You're not… mad at me, are you?" Her timid question brought him back down from the clouds and he watched out of the corner of his eye as she fiddled with her hands. Clearing a boulder-sized lump from his throat, Inuyasha responded in a cracked voice "S'okay… I didn't mind" and then watched as her face lit up in a smile and she shyly tucked a strand of inky black hair behind an ear. Sometime during their study session, the book was lost between them as Kagome sidled in closer, seeking out one of his large clawed hands with her small ones and finding his lips with her own. Inuyasha had never really thought about kissing anyone; after that night, he couldn't think of anything else but kissing _her_.

At school she kept her affections to simply holding his hand, but there was nothing simple about 'holding hands' in high school, and soon the rumors had spread that they were dating. " _Are_ we dating?" she asked him on their walk home, his hand firmly gripped in hers. "Do you want us to be?" he'd queried back, posture tense and voice strained. He was sure her answer would make or break him, and he almost didn't want to hear. Her firm response of "yes" had him twining his fingers with hers as he said with a bit of a smirk "Okay then… girlfriend." She'd promptly dragged him to her house to excitedly tell her mother before hurrying up to her room for another 'study session'.

When the questions inevitably came, Kagome didn't hesitate to say "Yes, he's my boyfriend", and when her friends found they couldn't shake her from her decision, they left her alone. Inuyasha watched her slightly saddened expression over the next few days as no one but him bothered to talk with her, but she never blamed him, and he couldn't bring himself to let her go. It was a bit of a surprise to both of them when, only a few days later, her usual group came to tell her they were sorry and all but begged to be her friend again. In true Kagome fashion she forgave them instantly, but loudly and firmly proclaimed that anyone who had a problem with her choice of boyfriend better keep it to themselves. She didn't bother to change her seat back to where it used to be, forcing her friends to come to her and Inuyasha instead. After a few weeks, he decided they weren't so bad. Chatty and annoying, but they cared about Kagome, and that was the only important thing.

And then Kouga showed up. Popular with the demons and captain of the soccer team, he was just the type of guy Kagome would have been expected to go out with, and he knew it. A few passing remarks her way, some rumors that they'd met in secret, and before he could stop himself, Inuyasha was festering in doubts. Kagome never showed an interest in the demon, but Inuyasha couldn't believe that, between the two of them, she'd pick the half-demon punk. They'd only had a few petty arguments in the past, and he'd always liked seeing the feisty side of his girlfriend. He knew she was tough, knew she was willing to stand up to anyone including him, but he didn't yet know how far he could push her buttons before he completely turned her off. After the teachers managed to pull apart his fist-fight with the lousy wolf and he saw Kagome's livid expression, he feared he'd done just that. It was by far the worst walk home they'd ever had, the silence more drowning than any he'd ever endured, and when he anxiously asked if she'd like to come over, she huffed and turned down the street to her home, never looking back and never saying goodbye. He'd broken a few appliances and had Totosai pounding on his door, but nothing could distract him from his very real, very vivid fear that he'd just ruined everything.

He could still see Kouga with his arm around Kagome, leaning down to kiss her, and then the bastard's stunned face as his fist met with it. He couldn't really recall what he'd said, but he knew there'd been a few harsh words directed at Kagome, and guilt ate at him to know he hadn't meant a word of it. He'd just been so furious, so jealous… so terrified that she'd realize what a loser he really was, and he'd lashed out. He'd hurt the only person who gave a damn about him, and probably lost her just as he'd feared.

She ignored him all through class the next day, but as he tentatively walked up beside her on their way home, she'd grasped for his hand and let loose a tirade of anger and hurt as he listened with drooping ears. "How could you think I'd turn on you like that? How could you doubt me? Don't you know how much I care about you? Don't you trust me at all?" He argued back, feebly, how he'd never trusted anyone, how things never worked out for him, how he couldn't believe the past few months and was sure that at some point it would all come crashing down on him, just like everything always did. He didn't even realize he'd told her all of that until she stopped, her hand tugging him back, and he found himself enveloped in a warm hug that he couldn't help returning. She agreed to come home with him that time, kissing and caressing as they sat on the floor beside his bed, occasionally pausing to rummage through his CDs for something new to listen to.

Kouga was still a pain after that, but Inuyasha learned to trust his girl, and both of them learned that people could really surprise you. Despite her outcast boyfriend, Kagome was as popular as ever, and when the school elected her as Student President, she gave her disbelieving boyfriend a hearty "I told you so" as well as a celebratory kiss. The students made a meager effort to talk to him after that, even include him in activities, but he preferred to stay distant. He didn't need tons of friends like Kagome had, he just needed Kagome. There were times when he still couldn't believe she liked a weirdo like him, but even stronger than the doubt was the feeling of acceptance she gave him. From day one, she'd never expected him to change, to fit in with everyone else who followed after her. He didn't know what she possibly saw in a half-dog-demon with mediocre grades and no social skills, but whatever it was she saw, she clung to it, treasured it. She even got others to see in him the qualities that he couldn't see himself, and that perhaps was the biggest miracle of all.

Until the day she said she loved him – nothing was more amazing than that. Alone in his garage, one of their favorite bands playing over the stereo set, she looked him straight in his yellow eyes and told him how in love with him she was. He tried to say it back but couldn't form the words, instead meeting her halfway in a searing kiss accompanied by wandering hands. He backed her against Totosai's workbench and with a sweep of his arm, cleared the space enough to seat her on top of it, bringing her mouth level with his. Over and over again she whispered her love in his fuzzy ears as he kissed her neck, his breath puffing hot against her skin in what might have been an "I love you too". He couldn't recall what it felt like to hate her – he wondered if he ever truly had.

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*Author's Note:

I never thought I'd write a high school au, but I had an attack of the 90s feels and the image of Grunge Inuyasha would NOT leave my head. For anyone who follows me on tumblr, you already know this.


	2. Kagome's Perspective

~There She Goes~

Chapter Two: Kagome's Perspective

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It had never been a struggle for Kagome to make friends. She enjoyed meeting new people, enjoyed learning about their lives. When her grandfather retired and her family moved partway through a new school year, she never once worried about whether she'd be accepted in her new surroundings. She took genuine interest in people, so people took interest in her. But the first day she met Inuyasha, she knew he would be different.

She'd noticed him only in passing her first week at her new school. He sat a few seats behind her, and she thought the shoulder-length hair fit his boyish face surprisingly well. Despite her friendly attitude, she knew when to give people space, and from the start she could tell that the space around Inuyasha was more like a gulf. He seemed to like things that way – or so she thought, until one day she caught him watching her, and the look she'd seen hiding behind his yellow eyes told her a very different story. He'd turned away from her surprised gaze with a miffed expression, but she'd caught the hint of loneliness before he pushed it back.

After that, she couldn't get him off her mind. She'd tried to say hello a few times, but he made his disinterest clear. Not wanting to press her luck, Kagome began to watch him from afar, and what she discovered broke her heart. He had no friends, he ate alone, he was the last to be picked for projects and the first to be blamed when they went wrong. He took it all with a growl or a grumble, biting out sarcastic comments that only separated him further from everyone else. At first Kagome was convinced he was deliberately pushing people away, but the more she watched, the more she realized: it was his only defense. No one trusted him, no one liked him, and he certainly had no reason to like them either. She honestly couldn't blame him for the way he acted; that didn't mean it had to stay that way.

Kagome determined that if his behavior was reactionary, then she'd just give him something different to react to. Her morning hellos became a daily occurrence, and even though he never responded, she noticed that his attitude towards her changed. He didn't growl at her like the others. He didn't tense up every time she got too close. She dropped her folder once on the walk home, and he called her a klutz as he helped gather her fallen belongings before continuing on ahead. She hadn't even known they walked the same route. Her efforts were mostly subtle, and no one really said anything about her useless attempts to befriend the grunge loser. They just assumed she was 'being nice'.

When Kagome heard of an approaching school dance, she began to notice Inuyasha a little differently. He had a nice profile and a strong jaw framed perfectly by heavy silver-white bangs. Vibrant amber eyes stood out drastically against dark lashes and thick eyebrows, and his occasional fanged smirk was captivating. Out on the field he was faster, stronger, and more agile than most of the demons. And she'd been dying to touch his furry ears from almost the first moment she saw them. As the dance drew closer, she found it harder and harder not to get distracted in class by just how handsome he was. Even his baggy, second-hand clothes were becoming attractive to her – especially when he wore red. But he never noticed her the same way, and instead boys she'd never even seen were approaching her almost daily, asking if she'd be their date. Kagome tried her best to be diplomatic, all the while knowing that she really only wanted to go with one boy in particular. The day before the dance, knowing her half-demon classmate would never bother to ask her out (if indeed he planned on going to the dance at all), Kagome took matters into her own hands and decided to ask _him_. He'd never ignored her so forcefully before.

After a dateless dance, she returned to school resigned to a fate of useless pining over a boy who never spoke two words to her. And then he said hello. For the life of her, she couldn't imagine what had changed to make him suddenly so responsive, but she wasn't about to let the opening go to waste. When he finally started walking with her to and from the school, she had to keep pinching herself to make sure it wasn't a dream.

For the longest time he seemed mystified by her presence. Kagome herself couldn't be sure just what it was that drew her to him so. Half-demons were rare, even in a mixed school, and she supposed that's what had first caught her interest. Not that he was some spectacle, but it took guts for demons and humans to get together despite all the social stigmas, and for a half-demon to brave the torrents of prejudice and attend public school showed a certain strength of character that Kagome couldn't help admiring.

Of course Inuyasha never saw it in such noble terms. He survived, day to day, defiantly living his life like any human or demon would. Any comment from Kagome on the subject was construed as pity, and that was something he hated more than the prejudice.

Kagome never pitied him though; she wanted to share his burden, help him carry the weight. She got a few tastes of what it was like for him when they finally became official, but never in the same degree. No one really accepted her choice, but they still accepted her. "It just goes to show how kind she is." "She feels sorry for him for always being such a loner." "Once she feels she's done enough for him, I'm sure she'll move on." They wouldn't even listen when she'd try to correct them.

Inuyasha never got off so easily. "You've corrupted her." "She's too good for you." "She's only dating you out of pity." They never said it when Kagome was around, and he never told her, but she knew. She saw it in every judgmental frown, in the way everyone skirted him to be closer to her. More than anything, she wished she could make them understand the truth about their relationship: that being with him changed something in her. It made her see the world for what it really was. It made her face the fact that even nice people could hold ugly grudges. Being with him made her appreciate sincerity, appreciate genuine kindness and honest acceptance. It made her more forgiving, more understanding, more patient even when her peers were so cruel. Being with him made her a better person.

To everyone else's eyes, she was out of his league; to Kagome's eyes, she'd found a hidden gem.

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*Author's Note:

Yeah, I know I said this would be a oneshot, but I have other stuff I've written for this au that I've been posting on tumblr, and like... might as well post it here too! This is probably going to follow the same format as "The Delinquent Boyfriend", where each chapter is a separate oneshot in this universe, instead of following a linear storyline. So keep an eye out for future chapters!


	3. Food for Thought

~There She Goes~

Chapter Three: Food for Thought

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"Why the hell do you keep talking to me?"

Smile fading, Kagome turned back to her open soda with an almost bored expression. She'd heard that before. "Why shouldn't I?"

"It's only getting worse, y'know. The rumors." Inuyasha's arms came up the rest atop his folded knees, physically closing himself off from her. She frowned. "We're not the first people to have rumors follow us" she responded coolly, "they'll forget about us in a week and find someone new to gossip about."

"Or we could put out the fire now." Inuyasha turned to look at her with determination, and her frown worsened. There was no reasoning with him when he got that look. "You could just stop talking to me – stop following me around. Then they'd have nothing to complain about."

She couldn't help her teasing grin as she asked "Where's the fun in that?" but Inuyasha's stern frown remained firm. "I'm serious, Kagome. You don't seem to get it, but everyone in school is obsessed with you. Even the teachers think you're great! You're gonna ruin your life hanging out with a loser like me."

"Don't be so dramatic, Inuyasha!" Rolling her eyes, Kagome scooted just a little bit closer to him on the grass under the tree, and his shoulders tensed. "People know me because I talk to them. The teachers like me because I don't get in trouble." Her smile returned as she raised an eyebrow at him and said "You should try that sometime. Does wonders."

Inuyasha growled in frustration, throwing out his hands as he groused "But that's the whole point! I'm a trouble-maker. A low-class loser. I'm the guy that gets in fights and no one bothers to report it because they think I deserve the beating. The kind that stumbles through classes with passing grades and never gets so much as a glance from the teachers because what's the use? I'm not like you, Kagome, and everyone knows that."

Her eyebrows pinched in anger, and for the briefest moment, Inuyasha looked afraid. "Well then everyone's wrong" she said evenly, daringly reaching across the space between them to grab one of his hands. His meager protest was ignored as she pulled his hand into her lap and tightly threaded their fingers. "You care about people – I've seen it. You always step in to help when people are being bullied. You volunteer for the jobs no one wants. You gave up your lunch to that boy the other day – the one who forgot his money. You do kind things all the time… it's just that no one ever notices."

"You did" he said softly, a hint of awe in his eyes. He knew he'd done those things, but… honestly, he hadn't thought about them. Not like that.

"I just wish I wasn't the only one" she said with a sad smile, still not relinquishing her hold on his clawed hand.

He scoffed, ignoring the warmth against his palm. "Yeah, well, I don't need people's opinions. They can take their opinions to hell for all I care."

Kagome shook her head with a laugh and said "I thought you were worried about all the rumors and gossip."

He turned to her suddenly with sharp yellow eyes and said pointedly "That's cuz it ain't just about me. They can talk all they want about me – I don't care. But they got no right to say stuff about you."

Her cheeks warmed and she glanced away, her eyes focusing on the dried blades of grass beside her, her free hand absently seeking to pull them up. "They've got as much a right as anyone. I'm nothing special."

"Yeah you are."

Whipping her head back around, her startled brown eyes met his sheepish golden ones, his head lowered as if to hide the fact that he'd been the one to speak. The hand clasped in hers grew sweaty, and Inuyasha pulled from her grip to nervously wipe it against his acid-wash jeans. "A-anyways, you've got a lot more to lose, y'know? Everyone's sayin' you should run for Student Body President. You hang around me much more and you can kiss that dream goodbye."

"You're part of the student body too, aren't you? Would you vote for me?" He buckled under her expectant stare, fumbling with excuses. "W-well yeah, but… better you than all the losers in school, right? But that don't matter – I'm only one person!"

"And that's good enough for me" she said with a nod, picking up her sandwich and taking a determined bite. "If it comes down to it" she mumbled around her mouthful of peanut butter and jelly, "then people will either have to accept me being your friend, or find someone else to be Pres!"

Inuyasha barked a laugh, tearing open a bag of chips. "Yeah right, like you'd just let that slip by ya. You could really go places, you know? Preps like you are always paddin' your resume with that kinda 'extracurricular' crap." Stuffing a few chips in his mouth, he crunched noisily, resolutely ignoring the girl beside him. "You wouldn't go riskin' all that for some dumbass boy you hardly know."

Kagome was silent, chewing slowly at her sandwich. Her eyes were set on the patches of grass and dead soil at their feet. She swallowed, blinking thoughtfully, and turned to Inuyasha with an unexpected smile. "Then I guess I'll have to get to know you better, huh?"

He stared, slack-jawed, even as she giggled and turned back to her lunch. It was another moment or so before he remembered his own food, and went back to his potato chips with significantly less gusto. They spent the rest of the break in weighty silence, neither daring another attempt at conversation. Enough had been said to keep them both reeling for the rest of the day.

At the piercing ring of the school bell, the half-demon jumped to his feet, balling up the garbage in his clawed hands and tossing it across the yard with perfect accuracy to the metal can. Kagome's quick laugh behind him kept him rooted to the ground, and as she stepped up beside him and gave him a grin, Inuyasha resigned himself to his fate. If she really wanted to walk with him back to class… there wasn't much he could do to stop her, was there? His lip quirked, threatening to break his moody façade with a fond smile, but Inuyasha kept it at bay. Maybe he'd save it for later – _after_ he let her get to know him.

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*Author's Note:

A short little snippet from their early friendship! Enjoy ;3


	4. Practice Makes Perfect

~There She Goes~

Chapter Four: Practice Makes Perfect

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Thin fingers curled in the open edges of his flannel shirt, tugging the half-demon a little bit closer as Kagome pressed her lips to his again. Inuyasha nervously reached up to grip her shoulders, not daring to touch her further. He was still reeling over the look she'd given him as she lowered her notes, pushing the bulky math book further away on the mattress until there was nothing between them but awkward silence. The way her eyes had flickered from his pursed lips to his wide amber eyes had been enough of a clue to make him nearly swallow his tongue. They'd kissed before, sure, but she'd never given him a look like that: excited, enticing, expectant… and just damn hot. He'd caved to her as soon as she leaned forward.

Her lips parted against his, barely noticable, and Inuyasha wondered if she'd done it on purpose or just been caught up in the moment. He didn't dare copy her for fear of the latter. Two recent kissing sessions hardly made one an expert on making out, especially with no experience to build on. Inuyasha hadn't told her about his embarrassing lack of skill, but… he figured she could probably already tell.

Kagome's lips parted again, and Inuyasha took the hint. He didn't really know what to expect - was she going to jam her tongue down his throat like all those gross couples in the school hallways? He'd always ignored the sight with a disgusted sneer, wondering how anyone could enjoy swapping spit with someone who ate at the school cafeteria, and shrugged it off as something he'd never have to suffer through.

Except here he was. And he wasn't suffering. Kagome was moving slowly, breathing him in and mouthing his hesitant lips. She drew his bottom lip between hers briefly, forcing Inuyasha to stifle a gasp. Her lips molded to his again, her tongue peeking out to trace his mouth, and shivers ran pleasantly down his body at the new sensation. Those hands that had been gripping his shirt slackened against the fabric before tracing up to circle around his neck. Kagome was closer than ever, and Inuyasha could hardly remember how to breathe. His larger hands couldn't help sliding off her shoulders to follow the contours of her back.

The tongue she'd been teasing his lips with snaked inside, tracing his teeth and fangs instead, and Inuyasha's face filled with warmth so intense he was sure she could feel the waves of heat rolling off his skin. It was so new, and strange, and he couldn't decide at first whether or not he liked the stroke of her tongue inside his mouth. At least she tasted good; he wasn't sure if it was the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches she liked so much or just her natural flavor, but it wasn't bad. Curiosity took over, and Inuyasha met her tongue with his.

Kagome grew even bolder at the touch, pressing her weight further against him until he had to reach back and brace himself against her mattress to keep from falling over. She hardly noticed the move, and sifted through the white hair trailing over his shoulders for a better purchase on his head, massaging his scalp and angling him slightly for a tighter liplock. Inuyasha's head was spinning, trying to keep up with every brush of her lips and sweep of her tongue and it was just so much to take all at once. He was all too aware of the blistering heat building between them, unable to ignore the softer parts of her body smashed up against him, their clothing doing _nothing_ to deaden the sensation.

Inuyasha found himself wondering how far she was planning to go - would she stop when she'd had her fill of him? Or… or would she keep up the attack, trying one new thing after another until there were no lines left for them to cross? For the life of him, he couldn't decide which he'd prefer. His awareness of the world around him, the scents and sounds of the outside world, all shrank until there was nothing in his senses but Kagome. The pleasant massage of her hands, her devilishly active tongue, the little grunts and mewls from the back of her throat… his yellow eyes cracked open to see the captivating image of dark lashes fanned over her red-tinged cheeks, her bangs tousled and falling away from her scrunched brows. His eyes slid shut again as a wave of affection swept through him.

Grasping his courage with fingers pressing into her thin sweater, Inuyasha pushed forward and forced her tongue into her own mouth. Her pleased gasp was music to his pointed ears, and he took charge of the kiss. Following her earlier example, his fingers fanned over the back of her head, pulling her closer while he pressed her to his body. Inuyasha leaned over her, turning the tables as Kagome put out a hand to brace herself against his amorous advances. He couldn't get enough - her taste was better and better the more he got of it, her curves fitting perfectly against him, her small exclamations the sweetest song he'd heard in his life - and he pushed her as close as their bodies would allow, the world falling away around them.

Inuyasha didn't realize that _he_ was the one falling until he collided with the girl atop her mattress. He couldn't pull away in time: their teeth cracked painfully, and he bit down instinctively - right onto his tongue. Drawing away before anymore damage could be done, Inuyasha's eyes shut tight as he pulled the abused muscle back into his mouth and clenched his jaw against the angry throb. Kagome lay flat against her flower-print mattress, rubbing a hand over her aching jaw and moaning in pain. Inuyasha glanced down at her, apologies on the tip of his injured tongue that he wasn't ready to voice. He met her gaze, relief washing through him as she managed a smile beneath watering eyes.

Mirroring the expression, Inuyasha shrugged and reached beside her for the math book peeking from beneath her back. He caught her eye once more, an understanding passing between them as she sat up and leaned against his side, patiently waiting for him to find the page they'd left off on. That was just practice - next time they'd get it right.

* * *

*Author's Note:

A little something I wrote for the tumblr prompt "awkward kiss", and I think it came out pretty well ;D Of course an awkward kiss doesn't mean it has to be a _bad_ experience - it's just part of the learning curve!


	5. Here With Me

~There She Goes~

Chapter Five: Here With Me

* * *

"Stay with me…."

She couldn't keep a little tremor from her voice; she knew this was probably too forward, knew she was crossing a line set in the ground for a reason, but she didn't care. All he'd done was look at her with those soulful amber eyes, and she fell to pieces.

"I should go back home soon" he responded, his voice low and raspy as her fingers played with his baggy shirt. "The old guy's gonna wonder where I am."

"I'm sure he knows you're here" she said, moving slightly to sit closer to him on her mattress, "he knows you can handle yourself."

"Hell if I can…" he whispered under his breath. Clawed hands fisted in the mattress beside her, but he didn't make another move. "Kagome… you don't gotta keep doing this."

"Doing what?" she asked back, her brow furrowing. Was he pushing her away? Did he… did he not really want her after all?

Closing his eyes, a tired sigh passing his lips, Inuyasha morosely answered "You don't gotta force yourself to go out with me."

She gawked, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find words. He made use of her silence to continue sadly "Look, I appreciate you goin' out of your way to talk to me and all, but there's no reason you gotta put yourself through this. I don't need your pity."

"Wh-why are you saying this?" She could barely get the words out of her constricted throat. Hadn't all of this meant something to him? Hadn't it been real?

"You don't have to keep pretending, Kagome," his tone became harsher, a growl underlying the words as he continued "You know as well as I do that it don't make any sense for you to like me. It aint' your responsibility to babysit the loser. You've… done enough already. So… so if you're waiting for me to let you go… I guess… this is it."

"You… you think that's what this is?" Her eyes welled with tears, her whole body shaking with his rejection. "You really think I'm that cruel?"

She turned away, unable to hold back her tears any longer, and Inuyasha panicked. "What? No, Kagome – don't you get it? I get why you're doing this, and I don't blame you. Everyone knows you're a nice person."

His last statement caught her attention, her reddened eyes opening wide as she suddenly realized what had happened. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she turned back to him, noticing his dismayed expression as she said angrily " _Everyone_ , Inuyasha? Since when do you care what 'everyone' thinks?" He flinched at her harsh tone, his eyes dropping sheepishly. "Well guess what: no one knows me, Inuyasha, not like you do. But I thought you knew me better than _this_."

His yellow gaze flicked up to meet hers, hurt warring with the familiar anger. "Yeah, well… I thought so too… I mean… I didn't believe it at first, but…."

"But everyone's been saying it, right?" His guilty expression and drooping ears told her she'd been right on the money. "Of all people, Inuyasha, I can't believe that _you_ would listen to stupid gossip."

"They're right though, ain't they?" he said quietly, turning away from her, "you're too good for me. I'm just ruining your rep, driving away your friends, making everyone talk about you behind your back… you don't deserve that."

"I thought we'd been through this – I don't care about any of that!" She bit her lip to keep from snapping at him again. They'd been through this dance so many times that Kagome knew the steps by heart. He'd push and she'd pull, and they'd never get a step beyond a petulant agreement to disagree. Inuyasha was letting the silence pose his argument, and Kagome clenched her jaw in a retaliating counter-attack. But his offence was weaker than usual; he wasn't digging up old bones just to wave them in her face like he usually did. This went deeper than him trying to rile her up. Watching his downcast expression, his knuckles turning white as he tried to keep himself from reaching out, Kagome finally got what he was trying to hide. "Oh Inuyasha… you really think I don't know you better than they do?"

Her hand came up to his cheek, leading his wide eyes back to look into hers as she said "You've been so concerned about me, you started believing their lies, because you thought it would be better for me. Oh, don't you get it?" She said fiercely, "You're so much better than anyone could ever know."

He scoffed, fangs showing as he sneered "Idiot, what kind of bullsh-" he couldn't finish as suddenly Kagome's lips were mashed up to his. She took advantage of his gawking mouth to snake in her tongue, swirling it against his in a way that had his previous argument vanishing in a puff of smoke. Reacting of their own accord, his arms wrapped around her back to hold her tighter, squeezing her to his chest like a life-line. Grasping handfuls of his shirt, she pulled him toward her, and he pulled away as he heard her back hit the sheets. Strands of white framed his nervous face as he leaned over her prone figure, fangs barely peaking past his lip as he caught his breath. His tan cheeks were slightly flushed, and Kagome was sure that her own were probably worse. "Stay with me" she said again, tugging him down a little more, his arms going out to brace himself against the bed. Her fingers left his collar to ever so lightly trace his jaw, and his eyes fluttered shut at the tender contact.

She could feel how tense his body was, as if forcefully holding himself back. "Don't let them in, Inuyasha." His eyes opened slowly, confusion seeping in as he looked at Kagome's insistent expression. "No one else gets to be here. Don't let any of those idiots from school or their lies ruin this for you. Don't let them keep us from being happy."

He watched her silently as her words sunk in, his intense amber stare making her feel open and vulnerable in the best way. She always wanted to feel this way with him, baring her soul and holding nothing back… she hoped one day he'd be comfortable enough to feel the same with her. Painfully slowly, he leaned down over her, and after an eternity his lips brushed hers with barely enough pressure to really be called a kiss.

"You're the truth then, aren't you." She didn't say a word as he bent to kiss her again, a little more forcefully, a little rougher. "Guess I shoulda realized… of all the people to believe, I chose the ones who've made my life hell, instead of the one who…." He kissed her again, his tongue plundering her mouth, one of his hands moving to cradle her head and angle her just right. Pulling away with panting breaths, he looked Kagome right in her hazy eyes and whispered "Sorry."

She smiled up at him softly, her black hair spilling out around her on the pillow, as his eyes roamed her face, glancing down occasionally to her chest as it rose and fell with each breath.

"Your mom's almost home" he said hoarsely, tapping his nose to let her know he'd caught a scent, "My guess is she's coming up the hill now."

Kagome didn't respond with words, only grasped him about the neck to drag him fully atop her as she kissed him purposefully. She squirmed a little bit beneath him, grinning into their kiss when a ragged moan left his throat. Wrenching away from her mouth with a frustrated "Kagome…", Inuyasha ducked to nip and suck at her neck before leaning away, leaving the girl in as frustrated a state as himself.

"Now I _really_ gotta leave."

Eyes still hooded, Kagome gave her best mischievous smile and said "If you ever need more proof of how much I like you, you know where to find me."

Inuyasha groaned as he sat up and shifted his weight on the bed beside her, gripping a handful of hair as he said through a grimace, "Damn Kagome, you're making it hella tough to leave."

"Bye Inuyasha" she said with a laugh, nudging his seated form with her foot, not bothering to get up from the bed. "I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha stood and went to her window, sliding it open to make his escape, but before he could jump away, Kagome called out to him. Poised with his foot on the sill, Inuyasha looked back at her as she craned her neck over her pillows, her hands fiddling with the neck of her roomy sweater, legs twisting as she turned to face him more. "Please… don't listen to what anyone says. I'm with you because I want to be."

He swallowed, looking as though he wanted to say something in return, but the opening of the front door caught his attention, and before Kagome could say anything else, he'd left.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Inspired by "Here With Me" by Dido. CLASSIC 90s. Also I saw an InuKag amv with this song way back in the day, and ever since I always associate that song with them. Hopefully I'll be adding more to this fic in the future, but it'll probably be pretty short drabbles. I do enjoy writing for this little universe though! :D

By the way, this one's set a little later in the story - they've been dating a few months or so now, and are definitely past the 'awkward' kissing stage ;3


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